Q: What is the best way to get an agent? Muchísimas gracias por su ayuda!
A: The first step is research! There are a lot of agent databases available to you like Manuscript Wishlist, QueryTracker, and AgentQuery. Latinx in Publishing also hosts a list of agents who have expressed interest in representing/currently represent Latinx authors and illustrators on our website. Another resource you can refer to is Literary Agents of Color. There’s also Publishers Marketplace; however, you’ll need to be pay a membership fee to access it.
Create a list of agents who represent the books in the genre you’ve written in and are currently open to queries. But remember to be thorough in your research and to protect yourself as well—if someone is asking you to pay a fee they are not a reputable agent.
Now that you've done your research and made your list, it’s time to start querying. As you are writing personalized query letters to each agent make sure that you are following their submission guidelines exactly. Agents receive hundreds of queries, and they have specific guidelines for a reason.
Finally, after your queries have been sent and you’re waiting for them to respond, it’s alway good to follow up if you haven’t heard a response in fair amount of time (at least six weeks).
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